The present invention relates to an optical module that uses an optical element carrier formed of a semiconductor material, and that has a high-frequency transmission line capable of achieving an excellent high frequency property, and also relates to an optical transmission apparatus comprising the optical module.
In the field of optical communications, data tends to be transmitted/received at a higher bit rate year by year with the advancement of computerization. Laser modules for transmitting a light signal using an optical modulator also compulsorily require that a high frequency property of a high-frequency transmission line which transmits an electric signal to an optical modulator is improved so as to transfer a high-bit-rate light signal from the sending side to the receiving side without an error. For example, broadening of a frequency band is tried by applying the structure as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-257412 (the prior art 1).
To be more specific, the prior art 1 describes a high-bit-rate optical module that uses, as a chip carrier on which a semiconductor laser is mounted, a dielectric substrate made of alumina, aluminum nitride, or the like where a via hole used to make an electrical connection between wiring conductor layers in the substrate can be easily provided.